


Devout

by Deanpala



Category: The Glass Scientists (Webcomic), The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson
Genre: Alterous attraction, Aromantic, Asexual, Asexual Lanyon, Asexual Relationship, M/M, Other, Queerplatonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-03 03:48:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21172931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deanpala/pseuds/Deanpala
Summary: Lanyon has never been in love, but Jekylls the closest he's ever gotten.OrA story about being in love when you can't feel it, and the summit of feelings between friendship and romance





	Devout

  
Lanyon thought this whole romance business was stupid. Sure he knew how to play the game, he could pretend to flirt as well as he could to complement or pray but that’s all it was really, pretending.  
He didn’t question it much however. Being upper class had always meant jumping through pointless loops to get where one wanted, and getting to know someone before having to marry them (because like any gentleman he WAS expected to marry) was far from the most nonsensical thing he had to pretend at.  
It took him years to realize that this was not another social nicety, and that society as a whole seemed to be…. Infected with a desire that made them blabbering fools. He was far above that and could never see the appeal of spending your whole life cooped up with and primarily focusing on just one person.  
But then, he met Henry Jekyll, and he thought that maybe spending the rest of your life with someone wasn’t so ridiculous.  
———————–  
Lanyon didn’t know what romance felt like. What did know however was this:  
He cared for Henry a great deal  
He felt something that was… more than friendship toward him  
Jekyll was in love with him  
He would do anything to make Henry happy.  
Lanyon froze thinking about this. Henry loved him. He wanted to make Henry happy.   
And he felt something more than friendship toward him. He had never cared about anyone more than Henry.  
And so, he asked him to go a step further with him. Because if it wasn’t friendship, what else could it be but love?  
______________  
Lanyon knew there was something wrong with this.  
“Jekyll…. We need to talk.”  
“What? What about what’s wrong?”  
Lanyon took a breath to steady himself and grabbed Jekylls hands in his own.  
“I… care about you. More than anyone in my life-”  
“I love you to Lanyon.”  
Lanyon winced at the words. He did love Henry, but the words had a certain implication that didn’t apply and made this situation harder than it already was.  
“That’s…. What I wanted to talk to you about. I um- I don’t. Love you that is.”  
“What? No no no, we were doing so well did I- did I do something wrong? Just tell me what I did and I’ll fix it I’m so sor-”  
“No, calm down, it’s nothing you did. I just…. Misunderstood what I was feeling but please understand that I still care for you deeply.”  
Henry looked hurt and angry and Lanyon watched as tears began to form in his eyes.  
“Do you even like men?”  
“I- no. I don’t. I don’t like anyone.”  
Jekyll frustratingly ignored the last part.  
“So what this was all a lie? You were just curious?”  
“No it isn’t like that I-” Lanyon couldn’t find the words and let out a loud sound of dismay.  
“It wasn’t a lie I just thought I was in love but I wasn’t and-”  
“How can you just ‘think’ your in love?”  
“I’m trying to explain it to you if you would just listen! I’ve never been in love I had no reference-”  
“Everyone’s been in love! You’re human aren’t you? It’s the same feeling whether it’s for women or men and-”  
“You think I don’t know that!?! I don’t know how to make you understand-”  
“ Oh I understand what you’re doing perfectly well thank you very much and I don’t appreciate being used like-”  
“I’M NOT USING YOU! Why won’t you LISTEN to me?!?!”  
“I should go.”  
“Henry wait-”  
“Goodbye Lanyon. I’ll mail you if I want to see you again.”  
_______________________________________________  
It took about a month for things to start healing between them.  
Henry tried to be supportive of Lanyon he really did but he just couldn’t quite… get it.  
At first he tried introducing Lanyon to various ladies to try and prove he was over him (he wasn’t) and in a show of support for his not liking men.  
Lanyon turned them all away and seemed disgusted.  
Jekyll was careful to not cross any lines. He didn’t touch Lanyon, he did his best to only see him in public settings, anything to keep him from feeling that spark of love and to keep from making Lanyon uncomfortable.  
Lanyon meanwhile seemed to be more sweet than the entire time they had been together. He took care of Henry when he was sick, he’d stroke his hair, or hold his hand, or kiss his forehead and in honesty it was very confusing and frustrating to Jekyll.  
So he finally ended up snapping one night.  
“In my office. We need to talk.”  
Lanyon gave him a weird sideways look but nodded.   
“Okay” Jekyll said “what are you playing at?”  
“Henry what are you talking about?”  
“What do you want from me? You broke up with me saying you don’t love me anymore and I am doing my utmost to respect that but you keep trying to ruin things!”  
“What?”  
“What do you mean ‘what’!?! I’m not stupid, you can’t just say you don’t love me and then hold my hand and invite me to stay over all the time!”  
A look of realization crossed Lanyons face and he gently stopped Jekylls pacing and ranting by grabbing his hands in his own.  
“Henry. I need you to listen to me okay? None of that is romantic to me.”  
“Of COURSE it’s romantic that’s how things wor-”  
“Henry I swear to god shut up and listen to me for ten seconds you can’t demand an explanation and then ignore it!”  
There was a moment of silence as they stared at each other for a moment.  
“None of that stuff is romantic to me because nothing ever has been in my life.”  
“Yes yes, we’ve established you don’t like men-”  
“You still aren’t listening to me. You are right I don’t like men. But I don’t like women either.”  
“I beg your pardon?”  
Lanyon sighed deeply not knowing how to get this idea across.  
“I don’t like anyone that way. I have never, ever, been in love in my life.”  
“I don’t understand.”  
“I don’t myself but that is how I am. I am incapable of loving anyone the way you do me but I want you to know that you are the closest I’ve ever gotten.”  
A look of confusion crossed Jekyll’s face.  
“Lanyon what are you saying.”  
“I’m saying that I love you immensely and I care for you as much more than a friend but…. I’m not IN love with you romantically speaking. I don’t love you but you are so very important to me and I’ve never felt as much affection for anyone as I do you.”  
Henry’s entire face was tomato red at this point and he let out a small “o-oh.”  
He still didn’t entirely get it. For him, love was binary, with no shades in between friend and lover.  
But he finally understood that that wasn’t the case for Lanyon.  
And something changed then with the two of them, something they didn’t have a name for. And as time went on, between falling asleep on each others couches and drinking to much together and still silent nights with nothing between them but their own breath and a blanket of emotional warmth, that something grew.  
Jekyll was still in love with Lanyon, and Lanyon still wasn’t, but that’s okay, because what is a relationship outside of a shared life with another?  
They had devoted themselves to each other, and that’s all either of them had ever wanted


End file.
